South African miner Impala Platinum (Implats) will be investing R10-million over the next four years into the 2021 intake of bursars.

The funding will cover tuition, accommodation, books and pocket money, as well as paid vacation work for many of the students.

Second-year students receive laptops from the mine and mentoring by Impala’s Bursary Department will continue throughout the bursary period.

The 2021 intake of bursars will see 18 young people who matriculated in 2020 on their way to a career in the mining industry owing to the miner’s successful bursary programme for external candidates.

This year also sees the addition of a brand-new bursary, “The Future Women in Mining Bursary”, of which Dulcie Kagisho, from Paardekraal, is the first recipient.

Kagisho achieved an excellent matric pass at Sunrise View High School in 2020 and has been accepted into the Mechanical Engineering degree course at the University of Pretoria.

Impala Rustenburg CEO Mark Munroe says the bursary programme, which has been running for over 20 years, has “made a difference to many young lives in the local communities, creating opportunities for successful careers both at Impala and further afield in the mining industry”.

Of the 18 successful bursars for 2021, 16 are from local mining communities. Of the 18 bursars, seven men and 11 women were selected from 11 high schools in the Rustenburg area.

They will be studying a range of disciplines, including mining, mechanical, chemical and electrical engineering, chemistry, geology, teaching, HR and accounting, at various universities, including University of the Witwatersrand, University of Pretoria, University of Johannesburg, and North-West University in Potchefstroom.

“It’s crucial for our mining industry to be more representative of our population and to encourage women to pursue the many opportunities available to them throughout the mining processes,” Munroe comments.

He adds that the mining company is “already proud of Dulcie’s determination to become a great mechanical engineer, and we wish her well throughout the tough course she has undertaken”.

“We believe that Dulcie, as well as our 11 other women bursars and any other future Women in Mining graduates, will encourage many more women to work hard to achieve good matric results to be able to embark on an exciting career in the mining industry,” he elaborates.

The selection of a candidate for the Future Women in Mining Bursary will take place in the local community every year.

Munroe adds that youth development is a “key priority” for Impala, and the company provides a number of programmes that assist youth to further their careers, which include the robust bursary programme that is contributing to the number of skilled graduates in the country’s mining community.

Examples include the miner’s Cadet programme that develops critical mining skills among unemployed youth within the local communities to increase their opportunities to find employment in the mining sector; as well as the company’s comprehensive Enterprise and Supplier Development programme; wide-ranging support for local schools and more.